The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-07-09
UNCLE SETH ON JOHN MILTON.
s. W. Toss, in Yankee Blade.

Wall, yes, Pve been readin' John Milton; jest glanced him over leetle, you know, to see what kinder stuff he he'd in him. "What do I think on him?" o, git out! I ain't no judge nor nothin'.
 But then, ain't hard on John. He had good deal of trouble in his fam- fly, was on the off side in politics, was blind as bat, which heaven knows is bad enough, am was married three times an divorced once or twice. Yes, John, you were purity outageously corned; but I'm really glad you lived, after all, because you have written some good po'try; an when fellow writes good po'try, bigosh, he's done a good thing. Your po'try's got ideas in it. an that's what's needed in every- thing, reckon, to preserve it. Ideas preserve poem, jest as salt preserves pork; the reason po'try that's writ to- day don't live no longer-tain't salted. The po'try they hev to-day is as purty an dainty as a butterfly's wing sewed onto rainbow with a crochet needle. Don't seem SO strong, big -muscled men ought to write it; ought to be writ by consumptive young ladies. When I see man doin' that kind of work, makes me think of that elephant in the circus who sews a lace handker- chief with his trunk. I tell ye there's lot of po'try written to kill time, and, of course, at the first opportunity for revenge time turns round and kills it. Wall, Pm tender hearted as a child, but Pm glad, after all, the stuff gifts killed.
 Wall, yes, yes. l was speakin' about John Milton, was I? Wall, as I said, John did we'll under the circum- stances. Some people think he gave leetle too much taffy to the devil in that long poem of his'n. Wall, I don't know. The devil ain't no slouch. There ain't no use denyin' it, the devil is smart; and if it warn't for his character he'd be fust-rate fellow. It's the biggest mistake of the devils life that he didn't improve his morals. The devils character is the only bad thing about him; an 1 don't blame John Milton bit for giving him good send-off.
 O! what do I think of Johns po'- try. o, wall, 1 ain't no judge of pol try. I ain't no critic. A critic, you know, must be chock full of eddica- tion an all kinds of dead languages an use words two or three inches long. He's got to tear things to pieces an see what they're made on. He mustn't have no heart-nothin' but a hard head.:no heart, no nerves no nothin'. He's got to go jest where his head tells him, slash and tear, no matter whose feelin's are murdered. He's got to tear round on the purity things like wild hog ill flow CT garden, trample down the lilies, slash at the marigolds, an tramp his big brogans on the pinks an pansies. Mustn't have any heart, you know. Wall, I ain't no critic, an Pm glad ont. Pm all heart an no head. don't want to hurt John Mill toms feelin's, nor any mans, for that matter. John was good honest man in his day, an did the best he knew how, an though he used to love his temper a little too much, an warn't hardly tender and lovin' enough in his family, yet, after all, John meant to do the square thing. That poem he wrote was kinder long and tiresome, but yet, it shows ability. It shows considerable ability. Pm glad he writ it.